Man Accused of Killing Girlfriend Set for Retrial in September

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A 27-year-old homicide defendant rejected a plea of 15 consecutive years before Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Melissa M. Phinn on Feb. 7.

Marco Holmes is charged with use of a firearm during a violent crime, having a handgun on his person, and second-degree murder in connection to an incident on Jan. 28, 2017.

On Monday, Judge Phinn listened as the prosecutor presented a plea of 15 years for use of a firearm during a violent crime and having a handgun on his person. The charges are set to run consecutively.

Holmes and his defense attorney, Roland Brown, rejected the plea offer.

According to the Baltimore Sun, Holmes is facing second-degree murder charges for allegedly fatally shooting his 20-year-old girlfriend, Tonja Chadwick, in 2017 and discarding her body in a wooded area in West Baltimore. The victim, who was also a mother, was found by a maintenance worker with a gunshot wound to the head and bruises on her arms and hands.

Chadwick was reported missing by her aunt on Jan. 30, 2017. The following day, police searched Chadwick’s home, located on the 4700 block of Parkside Garden Drive, and found two large stains on the carpet. The stains were confirmed to be the victim’s blood. It appeared that someone tried to clean up the stains but failed to do so. Blue latex gloves were also found at the scene containing traces of Holmes’ DNA.

Holmes was initially arrested for violating probation.

In 2018, Holmes was sentenced to 50 years. He was approved for a retrial by the Court of Special Appeals.

Holmes’ trial is scheduled for Sept. 7 with Judge Videtta Brown.